Nov 19, 2012 1 min read

Twenty-eight percent pay raises in a three-year period were given to some professors in the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties union in the last contract. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education gave some of them almost $20,000 pay raises in a 36-month period.

Twelve hours of teaching each week is “full time”, compared to the 30 hours of teaching public high school teachers must do.

Seven percent of APSCUF professors can be on “full pay” and “full benefit” sabbatical leave at any given time. And they continue to “earn” paid sick days while out on paid sabbatical leave. And when they retire, they can turn those sick days in for a cash payment.

The children of professors get free tuition until age 25. College presidents in the state system earn more than Pennsylvania’s governor. Each PASSHE campus has several dozen employees making over $100,000 a year. Eighty percent of the PASSHE budget consists of salaries and benefits, so 80 percent of tuition paid is for salary and benefits. The new contract needs to be fair to the students, taxpayers, and professors.

Brad Roae

Meadville

(Roae is a state representative for Pennsylvania’s 6th Legislative District)